The weird and wonderful places Brits hide their valuables

A survey has found that a piano is one of the places where Brits have been known to hide their valuables.

Published:09:47Wednesday 31 May 2017

The weird and wonderful places that Brits hide their valuables has been revealed in a new survey.

Metro Bank, the revolution in British banking, has delved into the secret hiding places of the UK’s most prized possessions and uncovered a treasure trove of clandestine locations.

Almost half of Brits (47 per cent) - that’s 24.1 million - say they believe the safest option is to store their valuables in and around their home. However rather than being concealed in top-secret hiding places, to a burglar’s delight, when it comes to Brits’ homes, filing cabinets and drawers (26 per cent) were found to be the most common place for people to stow away their important possessions, followed by a safe (19 per cent) and in third place a wardrobe (18 per cent).

Others have been a little more daring - some may even say ingenious - when it comes to concealing their possessions. The more odd and obscure locations include over a fifth (21 per cent) of Brits admitting to knowing about or hiding their own treasured belongings inside kitchen containers (such as old soup cans and cereal boxes), while one in ten (11 per cent) confessed to keeping them in the freezer.

Other weird and wonderful places mentioned include: In a commode; in a sleeping bag, among rabbit food, in a roof downpipe, in a dirty linen basket, in a toilet cistern, in a washing machine drawer and in a piano.

Iain Kirkpatrick, managing director of Retail Banking at Metro Bank, said: “Never mind under the bed or in a sock drawer or even the commode, we know that our customers’ valuables need to be looked after properly and kept safe. While some people opt for more unusual places, it is worrying how many choose to hide their most cherished possessions in such conspicuous locations.”

When asked about people’s most prized possessions in their home, 16 per cent identified a photo-album, followed by confidential paperwork - such as mortgage deeds/ wills/ marriage certificates - (15 per cent), and children’s memorabilia (10 per cent). When looking at the difference between the sexes, there was a clear divide, with more men caring about confidential paperwork than women (18 per cent vs 12 per cent respectively), while women valued photo albums more than men (22 per cent vs 10 per cent).